The Jersey bill had come close to passing earlier this month when Christie vetoed the bill. It has now been amended with changes including setting a 10 year trial period and increasing taxes on online casino revenues.

Following the signing, Christie said: ““This was a critical decision, and one that I did not make lightly. But with the proper regulatory framework and safeguards that I insisted on including in the bill, I am confident that we are offering a responsible yet exciting option.”

Christie is considered one of the country’s leading Republicans

Boost for Atlantic City

While Atlantic City has gained popular recognition in recent years due to the popularity of TV show Boardwalk Empire set in the early years of the last century during the prohibition era, the region is still way behind Las Vegas in terms of success.

The bill ensures that online casinos will be only be run by licensed casinos, with the servers being based in the casinos themselves.

It is estimated that the state of NJ will benefit substantially with a financial boost of some $200 million.

Internet gaming was rife in the US in the early 2000s, but in 2006 the United States Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which essentially made it illegal for US Citizens to gamble online.

However, it included a caveat that individual states can decide to allow gambling on the Internet as long as it kept within their state.